cilium

American  

[sil-ee-uhm] / ˈsɪl i əm /

noun

1. singular of cilia.

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cilium British  

/ ˈsɪlɪəm /

noun

1. any of the short thread-like projections on the surface of a cell, organism, etc, whose rhythmic beating causes movement of the organism or of the surrounding fluid

2. the technical name for eyelash

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cilium Scientific  

/ sĭl′ē-əm /

plural

cilia

1. A tiny hairlike projection on the surface of some cells and microscopic organisms, especially protozoans. Cilia are capable of whipping motions and are used by some microorganisms, such as paramecia, for movement. Cilia lining the human respiratory tract act to remove foreign matter from air before it reaches the lungs.

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Etymology

Origin of cilium

From Latin

Example Sentences

The resulting tissue contained multiple cell types found in the human airway, including mucus producing cells and cells with cilia.

From Science Daily

And hundreds of centrioles, intended for eventual construction of cilia at the cell surface, got stuck in the cell body.

From Science Daily

"We can change the direction of the material's magnetization at room temperature, which in turn allows us to completely change how the cilia flex. It's like getting a swimmer to change their stroke."

From Science Daily

Scientists have long known that abnormalities in a structure on kidney cells, or the primary cilium, cause cysts to form in kidneys.

From Science Daily

The researchers found many of the genes involved in the two diseases implicated primary cilia, tiny antenna-like structures on the cell's surface that sense chemical changes in the cell's surrounding environment.

From Science Daily

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